Anyone have shoulder surgery?

[relix63]

In a little less than 2 weeks, I will be having surgery to do some major repairs on my left shoulder. It appears that my arm/shoulder will be immobilized for about 10 weeks and I won't be able to really use my arm for anything for a month or 2 after that.

I'm bummed that I won't be able to play the guitar for a while but my bigger concern is the day to day things. For instance, tying shoes or even buttoning my pants. Things could be worse but I can't imagine this will be much fun. On the plus side, my arm has been somewhat useless for a long time and I'm looking forward to getting it fixed.

Anyone else go through something like this? I'm curious about your recovery experience. Thanks.

[Caretaker]

In a little less than 2 weeks, I will be having surgery to do some major repairs on my left shoulder. It appears that my arm/shoulder will be immobilized for about 10 weeks and I won't be able to really use my arm for anything for a month or 2 after that.

I'm bummed that I won't be able to play the guitar for a while but my bigger concern is the day to day things. For instance, tying shoes or even buttoning my pants. Things could be worse but I can't imagine this will be much fun. On the plus side, my arm has been somewhat useless for a long time and I'm looking forward to getting it fixed.

Anyone else go through something like this? I'm curious about your recovery experience. Thanks.
i NEED to have something similar done. I also need work on my wrist. Drs say wait til one HAS to be done and do both so I can get a 2 for 1 as far as recovery. 9 weeks without my left arm would be hell. And then another 6 weeks rehab.

[brian b]

Depends on what you are having done, Had a decompression on the left shoulder where they cleaned the joint up and removed bone. Was packed up in a sling for 10 days then therapy for 6 weeks, played after 2 weeks and everything was fine. Right should same thing but with a repair of the rotater cuff. same sling and packing but almost 3 months of therapy played after a few weeks but not for any length of time. Everything turned out fine worst thing was the bathroom there are certain thing you do with your dominant hand and when that is your right it becomes a hassle. 5 years later have had to have steroid shot in the right side nothing else. Almost forgot you will be spending alot time sleeping on your back afterwards with a pillow beside you for a prop, not bad unless your like me I use to only sleep on my sides. Good luck it will all work out.

[relix63]

I have a labrum tear, some torn ligiments, and some bone rubbing on bone. There was a freak accident about 18 months involving a steel pole filled with concrete. It broke my shoulder blade and dislocated my shoulder. At the time, no other injury was diagnosed. Thankfully, it missed my head because I'd be dead instead of having surgery.

[Scott Peterson]

My wife had major shoulder surgery. It's not easy. Have a support system (family/friends) to help you out in the first few weeks especially. Do your rehab, work through the pain. It's worth it.

[Lex Luthier]

I had shoulder surgery 12 years ago. Rehab sucks, but you have to do it. What I wasn't expecting is how long it took before it started feeling anywhere close to normal, I'm talking about a couple of years in my case. I'll never be back to 100%, I have reduced mobility and also arthritis, but the doctor told me that was probably going to be the case beforehand.

My other shoulder is also shot, and I dread having to go through all that again.

[Prititing]

Great points on previous posts. It will be a PITA in the bathroom and every day stuff, but you will get used to it easily. Will be sleeping on your back at all times. Recovery will be 1 month for normal stuff, but will take a long time for 100%. I am still not 100% after 1 and half years. But all this will pass. The most important thing is mind preparation. As Scott Peterson said, make peace with it and learn to be PATIENT. It will be very hard and the only thing that will get you thru is a peaceful patient mind and heavy family support. I know i couldn't have made it without my wife. A week after shoulder surgery i had bladder surgery. Recovering after this is when i learn what true patience means.

[relix63]

Thanks all for the info. This will be a big help.

[cram]

I have had two surgeries on my fretting side.
They were both scope work.
The first was supposed to heat up the rotator c and shrink it.

I should never have gone through that. It was entirely useless and I had a rigid therapy regiment after the surgery. I could tell it wasn't an improvement and I went back to it dislocating on me within 1.5 years.

The second was to repair the labrum and the rotator. I feel stronger now. That surgery was a year and a half ago.

You'll go through pt. PAY ATTENTION to this. I cannot stress this enough. You'll go through range of motion exercizes in the initial stages.. Basically taking a stick and putting your elbow next to yoru side and guiding it to your new limits of motion. Don't push this too hard, but always do it every day.

I can't stress how important PT is in these operations. It is a really weak joint in our bodies and you have to build a foundation around it to get real strength.

[cnardone]

Tore My Supraspenatis (one of the 4 rotator cuff muscles) playing ball. When the doc went in, I actually torn the muscle itself AND had a partially torn the tendon connecting the muscle to bone (Standard baseball torn rotator cuff injury) as well. Due to continued playing after injury, I had fraying of the Labrum that needed to be cleaned and the doc sanded down a shoulder bone to reduce friction.

I was immobilized for 5 full weeks. Elbow on hip, Wrist on stomach. 3 months of therapy and I still had the same shoulder pains as I had before the full blow out. It took a good couple of years before I could completely sleep on that shoulder without discomfort. It is 5 years later and If I miss a week or two of working out, the should pain comes right back. The thing that supprised me the most is that my upper back also bothers me as well.
Because the shoulder gets week, the back automatically trys to help. That actually bothers me more than the actual pain from the shoulder.

cmn

[shihanderek]

I had arthoscopic surgery on my left shoulder a couple of years ago. Typical guy, tried to gut it out and waited several months before I went in. Surgeon said 80% of his biz is guys like me, mid 40's to 50, who were athletes when young and doing stuff they probably shouldn't be doing now.

Surgery and immediate aftercare was remarkably painless. I had a torn labrum and rotator cuff, and they shaved off some bone spurs on my collarbone that was rubbing the rotator cuff. I had similar clean up work on my knee several years ago, peice of cake.

The shoulder is a multiplanar joint and as cram pointed out, PT is VITAL. It is also very painful, and after having gone thru pt probably a dozen times for various injuries, I was not prepared for how painful it was. However, you really need to be consistent with it in order to get your strenght and range of motion back. I tell you this to mentally prepare as several pointed out.

I was told it would take 9 months before I would start feeling normal again, trusting that shoulder. That is about right. No guitar is a bitch, but I set up a pillow to support my Steiny strat, so I could play some. Good luck.

[Gris]

Yeah, 4.5+ hours creating a new teflon labrum in my right dominant shoulder couple of years ago. Doctor told me I would be in excruiciating pain afterward, gave me narcotics, etc. Never took them. Shoulder felt better than it had in years right from the get go after surgery... :-) I've had numerous other orthopedic surgeries (was college athlete). Expect the worse but hope for the best. I've had both kinds of surgeries, old and new. IMHO arthroscopic surgery is a God-send. Almost totally alleviates the big-time pain, swelling and nerve damage associated with old fashioned invasive non-athroscopic cutting. Take your time with rehab. Almost all the bad results I've seen/heard about were result of folks trying to do too much too soon. You'll be fine.

[relix63]

I guess the major theme here is don't short the rehab.